BK19 Series
Radiation-Tolerant, Optocoupler-Enhanced Linear Regulators
BK19 Series overview
BK19 is a series of low-noise, switching-free optocoupler-enhanced linear voltage regulators that use Polaris Semiconductor’s patented circuit topology. The devices consist of a QML-V radiation-hardness-assured RH1965 LDO co-packaged with Polaris Semiconductor high-efficiency optocoupler chips. This offers high PSRR, low noise, and TID radiation tolerance to 200 krad(Si), combined with device efficiencies that are typically 1.2× to >2× greater than a conventional LDO.
The BK19 series is presently available with an adjustable voltage output addressing a range of 1.2–2 V. Higher output voltages are available on request. Polaris ELRs improve efficiency by connecting LEDs within our optocouplers in electrical series with the LDO within the package. Therefore, the minimum input voltage is greater than the output voltage by an amount depending on the number of LEDs in series. The optocoupler LED configuration can be set by the pin connections of the package, with either two LEDs in parallel (“L” configuration) or two LEDs in series (“M” configuration). The regulators can also be operated as conventional LDOs by simply shorting two pins together to bypass the LEDs.
The RH1965 core carries QML-V radiation hardness assurance, and the co-packaged Polaris optocouplers are radiation-tolerant by design — characterized through cobalt-60 TID, destructive single-event-effects, and proton, electron, and neutron testing, plus MIL-STD-883-style accelerated-lifetime and thermal-cycling screening, both standalone and co-packaged. RHA qualification of the complete co-packaged regulator is on the Polaris roadmap; test reports are available to customers on request.
Base LDO: RH1965. Every device can also be operated as a conventional LDO by shorting two pins.
Device configurations
| Device | Nominal Vout range | Iin @ Iout = 100 mA | Min Vin @ Iout = 100 mA | QFN package |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BK191D18V | 1.2 V – 2 V | 76 mA (L) 60 mA (M) | Vout + 1.4 V (L) Vout + 2.8 V (M) | QFN-28 · 6×6×0.8 mm |
- All devices are adjustable down to Vout = 1.2 V.
- Iin is typical input current after device turn-on.
- Product IDs ending in “V” are configurable for one of two input-voltage ranges, selectable via board-level pin connections.
- TID radiation tolerance: 200 krad(Si). The RH1965 LDO core carries QML-V radiation hardness assurance (200 krad(Si) at a 50 rad/s dose rate).
Applications
- Rad-Tolerant Space Power Supply
- Clean Analog Supply Requirements
- Post-Switching Power Supply
- Field Programmable Gate Arrays
- Data Converters
- Imaging Payloads
Technical documentation
Application notes, white papers, and spotlights covering the BK19 series.
Datasheets and SPICE models ship with a sample request — or email [email protected].
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